Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are fire-retardant chemicals that are found everywhere. A mouse study reports that probiotic supplementation can reduce the negative impacts of PBDEs on neurodevelopment, behavior, and metabolism.
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Caste differentiation in ants
Scientists have revealed how a specific hormone regulates ant caste differentiation by phenotypic measurements of organ-level developmental changes and matching transcriptome analyses.
From food crops to cancer clinics: Lessons in extermination resistance
Researchers explore how established agricultural pest management strategies could be adapted to address cancer therapy. The pioneering method opens new possibilities for controlling drug resistance and improving patient survival.
Scientists find a region of the mouse gut tightly regulated by the immune system
Researchers have analyzed the entire mouse intestine, mapping gene expression and cell states and location in the healthy gut and in response to perturbations such as inflammation. They identified tight regulation of cell types and states in different regions of the organ, as well as a unique segment of the...
Less cold: Ocean cold period in the early 20th century less pronounced than previously thought
A new study shows that the oceans were less cold in the early 20th century (1900--1930) than previously thought. During this period the ocean appears too cold due to the way some measurements were taken. This makes global ocean surface temperature measurements during this period inconsistent with both land air...
Innovating archaeology: Scholars utilize immersive 3D tech to document and study the human past
Archaeology studies the human past through the excavation of things people made and used thousands of years ago -- from architecture to objects like pottery bowls and animal bones from meals. Although many excavation projects create digital 3D models of what they uncover, archaeologists need new ways to meaningfully use...
Scientists implicate a novel cellular protein in hepatitis A infection
Scientists have long been trying to tease apart hepatitis A virus, to understand its inner workings and how it functions in the human body. Infectious disease researchers have discovered that a little-known protein, PDGFA-associated protein 1 (PDAP1), is used as a pawn by hepatitis A virus to replicate and infect...
Climate-driven hazards increases risk for millions of coastal residents, study finds
A new study estimates that a 1-meter sea level rise by 2100 would affect over 14 million people and $1 trillion worth of property along the Southeast Atlantic coast.
Females sleep less, awaken more frequently than males
A new animal study shows that males and females have profoundly different sleep patterns. The findings shed light on what may drive differences in humans and have broad implications for preclinical research that, for decades, has focused primarily on males.
Environmental impacts of plastics: Moving beyond the perspective on waste
The fact that plastics pollute the environment and generate problems has been well-researched in many areas. However, there is little information on the impacts of plastics on climate and biodiversity. Researchers have analyzed the impacts of plastics on the three planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution....